Changed
by penguino3782
Summary: There's a reason why you don't come out in the Southside. You pay a price and Ian did, a big one. Now everything has changed. The Gallagher's perspective after a life changing incident and the evolving relationship of Ian and Mickey.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shameless**

**A/N: I got the idea for this after rewatching the second season episode of Shameless where Monica takes Ian to the gay bar, telling him not to come out at school or someone in their neighborhood would stab him. What if it came out that Ian was gay? It didn't happen in school and he wasn't stabbed but something else happened…..this is the end result.**

**Changed**

Lip looks up from watching his brothers playing on the floor when he hears someone knocking on the door. Both Liam and Ian are still so engrossed in their playing that neither acknowledges the intrusion. Either that or in ian's case, he didn't hear it. The extent of the damage to his right ear still not fully known, but the hearing loss definitely is clearly evident. But the stubborn teenager refuses to wear the hearing aid. "Guess that means I'm getting the door," Lip mutters as he places his beer on the coffee table before getting up to get the door. He curses as he nearly trips over the blocks that are covering the floor.

Lip isn't surprised in the least when he sees its Mickey on the other side of the door. He's always over their house nowadays. "Your brother here?" Mickey asks as he bounces on the balls of his feet. Lip can't help but smirk for Mickey asks the same thing every time he comes over. He knows damn well Ian is there. Hell, Ian almost never leaves the house now. Working at the Kash n' Grab is not an option. He's always nervous that he might have a seizure in public even though he, Mickey, Mandy and the rest of their family reassured him that there will be hell to pay if anyone fucks with him.

Lip nods his head as he moves in to let the ex-con in. "Yeah, he's playing with Liam."

Mickey nods his head as he walks into the house taking in the sounds of Liam's baby talk and Ian's stuttering voice as a television show about sharks plays.

"Sharks?" Mickey asks slightly louder than he usually speaks. Ian's face turns when he hears Mickey's voice.

"M-m-ick," Ian greets with him with a smile.

"Gallagher," Mickey says as he takes a seat on the couch. Lip can see Mickey's biting his lip as he's watching the redhead get up unsteadily from the floor to sit on the couch. He knows the inner turmoil that is running through the ex-con. He experiences too. Watching Ian struggle to do something as simple as walking a couple of feet when every fiber in him wants to lend a helping hand. But, they know better. Ian wants to do it himself. He needs to do it himself. And as heartbreaking as it is to see him struggle they can't help but be proud of him because it's with the same tenacity that helped him get out of that hospital bed and back home in just a couple of months after what the doctors deemed a "catastrophic brain injury."

When Ian is all settled on the couch, Lip asks. "You guys wanna drink?"

"A beer would be good," Mickey replies.

Ian doesn't even bother answering because he knows that beer is not an option. Not with all the meds he's on. Meds for the seizures. Meds for the chronic headaches that still plague him. Meds for his lungs because the fuckers really messed them up when they punctured his lung. More meds for anxiety because dehabiltating anxiety is a common side effect of having permanent brain damage.

At least one thing that they don't have to worry about is Ian's prescriptions and other expenses. Ned's taking care of that. Every month they get a very generous check from the cardiovascular surgeon. The older man says it's the least he owes them after Jimmy ran off to places unknown when Ian was still in the ICU breathing on a ventilator. Lip thinks it's an attempt for the old man to ease the guilt of what happened to Ian since his brother was on his way home from being out with the older man when he was attacked. Whatever the reason is for the geriatric cutting them a check every month he's not complaining. Sometimes a small piece of him thinks that maybe they should feel bad for taking the money. Like they're the doctor's dirty little secret. But, then Ian has a seizure at the kitchen table. Or he looks on sadly as Mandy begs Ian to go to the movies with her and he refuses to because he still doesn't like to leave the house if he doesn't have to. Or Fiona has to leave work early because Carl got in a fight at school after another kid called Ian a retard. It's because of things like that that he or Fiona have no qualms now when Ned comes by on the first of every month with that generous check.

Lip grabs him and Mickey a beer and his brothers juice boxes. He stops in the doorway as he hears Ian laughs. A real genuine laugh at something Mickey said. He looks on as he sees the two sitting close to each other. Ian's so close to the ex-con that their bodies are touching. That's something that changed too. Lip guesses that it's really true when they say that tragedy do bring people together. Mandy didn't have to tell him how crushed her brother was when they found out about Ian. Lip saw it when he ran into Mickey outside of the hospital under the pretense that he was there with Mandy. The ex-con looked like his world was collapsing. After Jake Fisher, Pauly DelVichio, Drew O'Connor, Matt Thomas, and Sean Renchinski found out that Ian committed the ultimate crime of being gay and that his punishment was a brutal beating that left his brother in a coma for ten days with doctors using phrases such as "Traumatic brain injury," "You need to prepare yourself for the worst. Your brother may not make it through the night," and "need for long term care."

But Ian did make it. And Mickey and Lip and others took care of the ones who hurt him their own way. And now Mickey is acting like the man that Ian wanted and needed so badly. When Mickey doesn't move away when Ian puts his hand on the smaller man's leg, as Mickey wraps his tatttoed fingers over Ian's pale hand. Lip can't help but think that it took Ian nearly dying for the ex-con to step up. How Mickey changed so much over the last couple of months. Coming over and visiting Ian. Smacking Frank around when he got a hold of some of Ian's meds. How Mickey's a common sight at the dinner table to the point where he now has dish duty once a week.

"What the fuck you looking at?" Mickey calls out when he sees Lip standing there in the door way. On second thought maybe not everything has changed.

**After seeing the scene between Lip and Mickey in the last episode I wanted to see Lip's perspective on Ian and Mickey and decided to throw in a life altering injury for a little extra angst.**

**This may be just a one shot. But, if you guys would like me to I will continue it. As always let me know what you guys think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shameless.**

**A/N: It seems that some of you guys would like me to continue this, so I decided to. I know I have a lot of stories out there, but I'm just a sucker for hurt Ian and protective Mickey and Lip. Anyways, I decided to continue this as a series of one shots. With that said here's the next installment. **

**Changed-Chapter 2**

Slightly warmer air welcomes Lip as he walks into the Alibi. Putting the cooler autumnal air behind him, he walks up to the bar. He really needs a fucking drink. Kev must be a mind reader for there's already a beer waiting for him at his seat.

"Thanks, Kev." Lip says as he takes a large sip of his beer. Relishing in the warm comfort of the alcohol filling his stomach. He can't help but sigh in relief for he feels like he can breathe for the first time since Tony knocked on their door at four in the morning, nearly two weeks ago to tell them about Ian.

Next thing he knows there's also a shot in front of him. Lip raises his eyebrows. "Hey man, figured you could use it."

Lip runs his hand through his hair. "I could use the whole bottle at his point."

"He's doing better though, right? I mean Vee said that he woke up," Kev asks with a hopeful look.

Lip throws back the shot but doesn't say anything. True Ian did wake up. But, he's still on that damn respirator in the ICU with a chunk of his skull missing to help alleviate the pressure in his brain. "Yeah, he woke up." Lip says softly looking into his beer glass. "Still on that damn respirator though. Still don't know the extent of the brain damage."

The bartender waves off Lip's comment about the respirator and brain damage, instead trying to focus on the positive. "Yeah, he's still on the respirator and you guys might not know the damage, but the important thing is Ian woke up. He's a fucking Gallagher. Nothing keeps you giys down. You should be having a celebratory drink in his honor. Coming back from death's door and all." Kev says as he pours them both a shot.

This shot goes down a little easier. Part of him knows that Kev is right. He needs to take comfort in the fact that Ian woke up. It wasn't too long ago that they were told that it looked unlikely that his brother would make it though the night due to his severe injuries. And if he did make it though the night they weren't sure if he would wake up. But he did. Granted they don't know the extent of the damage yet, but at least he's awake. He should be hopeful but he can't help it. He's a Gallagher. He needs to be ready for the other shoe to drop.

"How's Fiona?" Kev asks after he finishes his shot.

Lip takes a sip of his beer, but shrugs his shoulders. "Shouldering on. Jimmy's still MIA."

"Still?" Kev asks. "Guess shit got too real for the North side pussy."

Lip just nods his head. He knows that Kev probably doesn't know the full story. He doesn't know how it took both Mandy and Fiona to pry him off of Ned when he showed up at the hospital to see how Ian was doing. That Ian was walking home during the early morning hours after he was with the heart doctor when he got ambushed. The bartender probably doesn't know all the details that led up to Jimmy taking off. That he ran out of the house after an overtired and emotionally drained Fiona screamed at her boyfriend that his family's charity wasn't wanted or needed after he told her that his father would be paying for a neurosurgeon consult for Ian. If Kev was home and not at The Alibi then he probably would have heard his sister throwing a bowl at the ex car thief while screaming "_He wouldn't have been in this situation if your pedo father kept his hands to himself!" _

"How are the kids?" Kev asks breaking Lip's thoughts.

Lip sighs. Sad as it is they're used to shit. Granted nothing to this extent has ever happened before. "Okay, I guess. Now that it looks like Ian turned a corner, Fi's trying to get them back to some kind of consistency. She's home now with them catching up on school work and getting them ready for bed."

"So who's with Ian?"

Lip takes another sip of his beer. "Mandy," Lip says gratefully.

Kev quirks his eyebrows. Lip knows why. He and Mandy have not had the most conventional relationship, but when pushed came to shove there was no one else he would have turned to after everything that has happened with Ian. She was at the hospital within an hour after Lip called her and told her what happened. Her presence at the hospital was a consistent fixture as the Gallagher family waited for hours on end for information on the redhead's condition. And despite Fiona's first misgivings the female Milkovich has helped when it came to watching and caring for the younger Gallagher siblings.

"Don't start with me," Lip says as he takes another sip of his beer.

The older man shakes his head, "I wasn't going to. I was-"

The sound of a body hitting the bar and a slurred "Get me nother," brings their attention to someone who is attempting to stand against the bar a few feet away from them.

Lip can't help but stare. It's Mickey. And the ex-con looks like complete shit and not just because he's wasted. The hunch of his shoulders, the darkening bruises under his eyes, all show that he's feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. Lip knows that the neighborhood thug is taking what happened to Ian hard. Lip saw it firsthand when Mickey came with Mandy to the hospital the day after Ian was attacked. He said that he was only there because of some obligation to his sister, but the fear in Mickey's eyes said something different. And with everything going Mickey's state of mind was the last thing Lip had time to think about. He knows that the ex-con has not been able to see Ian because of the visitor restrictions of the ICU. If Lip did try and get him in he would no doubt he subjected to nothing short of the Spanish Inquisition by Fiona.

"Jesus, Mickey!" Kev yells as he moves towards the ex-con.

"Shut da fuck up. Give me a notha," Mickey slurs.

Kev shakes his head but gets the younger man a drink. He knows better than to come between a Milkovich and his booze. Mickey gives Kev a crooked smirk as he gulps down his drink. He lets out a loud belch. "Know what? I like firecrotches," Mickey blurts out.

Fuck. Lip's eyes go huge. He can't let Mickey do this. Almost everyone knows about Ian now. The news of a gay bashing doesn't take long to make its way through the southside. And as much as Mickey fucked with his brother's heart, he can't let the same thing happened to him that happened to his brother. Ian would never forgive him. Lip slams his glass down and strolls over to Mickey.

"Come on, Mickey. Let's go." Lip says as he puts his hand on Mickey's arm.

Mickey shakes Lip's hand lose, "Fuck off, Gallagher."

But, Lip's not deterred. Mickey can't hurt him. He's so far gone that Lip is surprised that he hasn't passed out yet. "Shut the fuck up and let's go!"

"Fuck off, Gallagher!" Mickey hisses, his eyes filled with anger. "Want another drink."

Lip looks around to make sure that no one is really listening to the two of them. Sure enough no one is. A belligerent drunk Milkovich is nothing new. He leans in and whispers softly, "Let me get you out of here."

"Why the fuck for? You ain't my mother."

"No, I'm not. But, I'm the only way you're gonna get into the hospital to see Ian."

The tint of anger leaves his eyes and is replaced with something else. "What?"

"I'll figure something out, but it ain't gonna do us any good if you out yourself and get killed before I can get you in to see him."

Mickey nods his head and attempts to stand up straighter. With Mickey at his side they leave the several questioning looks behind as they go back into the cool air.

**XXXXX**

"Why the fuck is Mickey Milkovich passed out on our couch?" Fiona asks over her coffee cup when Lip comes down the stairs.

"Debs and Carl up yet?" Lip asks as he kisses Liam on the forehead.

"Still asleep. Felt like after everything that has happened that I'll let them sleep in for a bit." Fiona says. "You didn't answer my question. Why the hell is Mickey here? Mandy I get. Mandy I understand, but Mickey?"

Lip pours himself a cup of coffee from the pot. Not knowing really where to start since he really doesn't know or understand what's going on between Ian and Mickey. "He got hammered at the Alibi last night. Started flapping his lips."

Fiona shrugs her shoulders, "So? Since when has that become your problem?"

"About two years ago."

Fiona puts her head in her hands before looking back at her brother. "What the hell does that mean? I'm too tired to deal with this shit. What the fuck is going on?!"

"He was talking about how he likes redheads," Lip adds.

Lip remains quiet as he watches the confused look in his sister's eyes turn to one of realization. Then after several long moments, Fiona beaks her silence. "Oh no. You have got to be fucking kidding me."

Fiona looks into the living room to see that Mickey is still passed out on their couch. "Mickey and Ian?"

Lip nods his head as he joins Fiona. "On and off for awhile now. He's really messed up because of what happened to Ian."

Fiona nods her head. What happened to Ian messed them all up and they were allowed to show how they feel. Mickey can't do that. Hell, Mickey couldn't even go to the hospital without raising suspicion. She takes out her cell phone.

Lip asks nervously, "who are you calling?"

With the phone pressed to her ear, she replies "Relax. I'm calling the hospital. Putting Mickey on the visiting list."

Lip gives her a small smile before he turns back into the kitchen to get breakfast started.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shameless.**

**A/N: So I started writing the next chapter for Changed, but then this idea just came to me. So, this is the new chapter three. I hope you guys enjoy!**

**Changed-Chapter 3**

Lip looks up from his text book when Debbie comes running into the house with Fiona chasing after her.

"Debbie! Debbie! Get back here!" Fiona yells at her younger sister who is already running up the stairs.

"What the fuck?" Mickey asks from his place on the couch, next to Carl. Lip really doesn't know why the ex-con is there at the moment. Ian isn't home. Mandy convinced him to sneak into the movies with her. But he knows better to say anything. That's why when Mickey showed up about half an hour ago he just nodded his head and offered him a beer.

When Fiona joins him in the kitchen, Lip asks "What the hell is going on?"

Fiona grabs herself a beer as she makes her way over to her brother. "Got a call from school. She got in a fight. Ripped some girl's hair out and bit another one."

Lip shakes his head in disbelief. "Debs?" Carl fighting, yes. That is nothing new, But Debbie?

Fiona nods her head as she takes a sip of her beer. "Suspended for two weeks."

"Two weeks?! She never gets in trouble." Lip says.

Fiona nods her head. "I said that. But the prick principal won't budge. It doesn't exactly help that Debbie isn't saying why she did it." She takes another long sip of her beer. "All she keeps saying is 'the bitches deserved it." His sisters' hands are raised as she's doing air quotes.

Fiona starts playing with the beer bottle's label. "I better go up there and talk to her."

Lip closes his quantitative physics book. "I'll do it."

"You sure?"

Lip looks at his sister. Taking in the pure exhaustion that is visible across her face. She's working the office gig during the week, bartending at some swanky bar on the northside on the weekends, keeping track of Ian's doctor appointments, medicines, and the normal every day shit. She looks like she's ready to drop.

"I got this. Enjoy your beer."

Fiona gives him a small smile as he starts upstairs. He's walking slowly, taking the time to figure out what he's going to say to his sister. Debs has never done anything like this before. Actually it's a bit of a miracle that she hasn't. with all the crap the young redhead has had to deal with in her short life. With Monica breezing in and out of their lives. Frank only being around when he needs something. Jimmy, who was somewhat of a consistent parental figure, taking off to parts unknown six months ago. Then all the shit with Ian. Jesus, it's a miracle that the kid didn't go off the edge earlier.

The blonde rubs his face apprehensively as he comes closer to Debbie's bedroom door. The door isn't completely closed, so he can hear the conversation that is taking place in his sister's room. His eyes go big when he hears who is in the room with Debbie.

"What made you do it?" Mickey asks.

He can hear his sister sigh loudly. "What makes you think that something made me do it? Maybe I just wanted to hurt someone."

Lip remains still as he hears the ex-con snicker. "Bullshit"

"What? I can't hurt somebody because I want to?"

"I can see Carl doing that because he's crazy. But, not you. So what happened? What did those dumb bitches do?"

"Carl hasn't gotten in a fight in awhile," Debs says in hopes of moving the conversation away from her.

Lip remains silent as he stays outside of his sister's room. His sister is right. Carl is doing better. He hasn't gotten into a fight in a couple of months. In fact the calls from the school about Carl have been virtually nonexistent over the last couple of months. It's partly because the kid is growing up. He knows that the family is busy with Ian. But, Lip also thinks the reason why Carl has been behaving better is because despite his own misgivings Mickey kind of has taken the kid under his wing. Taking him target shooting. Mandy has also told him that she overheard Mickey taking the kid aside and telling him to "knock the shit off. Your sisters and brothers are already dealing with enough shit. You want to fight someone, make someone hurt. Come find me."

"They say something about Ian?" Mickey asks.

Debbie remains quiet for several long moments before she starts to talk. "Casey Malone and Amber Raverty said he was a spaz. Asked if he wears diapers because of the seizures," Debbie says softly.

Lip's hands are already into fists. He can feel his heart racing as the anger takes control.

"Did they need stitches?"

The question pulls Lip from the overwhelming anger. What the fuck is Mickey talking about?

"No, but she did need a tetanus shot."

"If you want to make them need stitches talk to Mandy. Few years ago she bit Courtney Higgins, took fourteen stitches to close that shit up."

Jesus Mandy! He knew she was nuts. But biting? What is she a damn dog?

"Fiona is probably so pissed. She has so much on her mind. And now I just got suspended."

"Nah. Suspension is nothing new with you Gallagher's. I think she's more pissed about the fact that you didn't tell her what the fuck is going on."

He hears Mickey sigh before he continues. "You know what else?"

"What?"

"Those bitches don't know shit about you or your family. But we do know that Casey's mom is a coke head and Amber is being raised by her senile grandmother because her mother ran out to California to be with that porn star." He stops before he continues. " Remember they are no better than you."

"Thanks, Mickey."

"No problem, brat. Now I need to grab a beer."

Lip can hear them moving and he really doesn't want to be seen spying on their conversation so he quickly makes his way back to the kitchen.

"Everything okay?" Fiona asks from the kitchen table when he comes back into the room.

Lip nods his head. "Mickey's taken care of it."

"Mickey?" Fiona asks in confusion.

Before either of them can say anything Debbie is standing in the doorway. "Fiona? Can I talk to you?"

Fiona nods her head, motioning for her sister to go on.

" I got into the fight…."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shameless.**

**A/N: So now that the hiatus has started I guess reruns and fan fiction are all we have until January, uggh! So with that said, here's the next chapter.**

**Changed-Chapter 4**

"Yo! Gallagher! Wait up!"

Lip turns around to see Mickey Milkovich walking towards him. "What's up, Mickey?"

"You have that tablet thingy?" Mickey asks as he catches up with the blonde and they continue walking to the Gallagher house.

"Yeah, I have it in my bag." Lip says motioning to his backpack. "You want it now?"

Mickey shakes his head. "Nah. Debs made Ian cookies. Told her that I would stop by and bring them to him since she can't get over there until the weekend."

"How fucking precious," Lip says with a smirk.

"Shud up," Mickey drawls as they make their way up the back steps to the Gallagher house.

Fiona shouting welcomes the two of them as soon as they walk in. He instantly recognizes Frank, but draws a blank as to who the blonde woman is in the kitchen.

"—Can't do that! The doctors said that any kind of disruption to his routine can make things worse."

"Jesus Christ!" Lip exclaims.

"Who the fuck is that?!" Mickey asks when he sees who Fiona is yelling at. Who the fuck is the doe eyed blonde bitch at Frank's side?

"Mickey meet our flaky mother who decided to come back and see Ian," Fiona barks with a venom laced voice.

"Oh... Mickey?" The blonde says with a smile. "You're the boy that was in Juvie right?"

Mickey shakes his head. What the fuck is this crazy bitch talking about? Then it clicks. All those times when he pretended like he wasn't paying attention when Ian was talking about his family. This is Ian's mother. The same mother who left the Gallagher kids more times than he can count. The mother who came back with her lesbian girl friend to try and take away Ian's little brother. The same Monica Gallagher who cut her wrists in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner. The same woman who was nowhere to be found despite Lip and Fiona moving hell and earth to find her when it looked like Gallagher wasn't going to make it.

"Ian cares about you so much," Monica says looking at Mickey.

"Shut up!" Mickey yells. "Just shut up! You don't have the right to say that shit."

"Yeah, Monica. We're not talking about that." Fiona says.

"Yeah, let's talk about how you were nowhere to be fucking found when Ian was dying," Lip lashes out angrily.

"I understand that. But, I'm here now," Monica says tearfully.

"Save it! You said that before," Fiona yells.

Mickey remains quiet. Letting the scene in front of him unfold. He guesses Ian was right. He was better off with his mother dead.

"She's his mother," Frank speaks for the first time, taking a drink from his beer.

"And you!" Fiona sneers getting in her father's face. "You knew how desperate we were to find her. The doctors didn't think he was going to make it. Obviously you knew how to get a hold of her and still you said shit."

"Hey! I told her what happened. She said to call her when things calmed down," Frank defends himself.

Lip snickers as Mickey bites out, "You fucking kidding me?"

"I knew I couldn't handle seeing him like that!" Monica cries.

Fiona scoffs. "And you think that we could. That we wanted to see him breathing on a respirator. That we enjoyed seeing him with a chunk of his skull missing. It was a real fucking blast watching him have three seizures in a day," Fiona laughs sarcastically. "But, we did it. Because we're fucking family! You don't run out on family!"

"You two just keep doing what you do best. Stay gone. We've got this." Lip says pointing to himself, Fiona, and much to the ex-con's surprise Mickey.

Knowing that her pleas will fall on death ears with her oldest son, Monica turns to Fiona. "I know that I've been a terrible mother. But talking from one mother to another, please just let me see him. Let me see how he's doing," she begs desperately.

Both Mickey and Lip can see Fiona's resolve starting to fade as Monica begins to cry, pleading to see Ian.

"No fucking way that's gonna happen," Mickey says.

"You're not fucking family," Frank bites back at the ex-con.

"He might not be, but he has earned his place here. More than we can say about the two of you!" Lip growls. "You went to visit him what once? STAY. THE. FUCK. AWAY!"

"Lip!"Fiona yells.

"Fi, don't tell me that you're actually gonna give in to this bullshit? Ian can't afford a setback. He's doing so well. And you know damn well that seeing her is only going to fuck with him."

"Lip!" Fiona yells again, this time louder.

Lip feels a sharp elbow in his ribs. He turns to Mickey. "What the fuck man?!"

Mickey tilts his head to the side towards the living room. In the heat of unleashing his anger at his parents he didn't even hear Debs and Carl come in. Shit.

"Monica?"

"Mom?" The two younger Gallagher's ask quietly.

Mickey expects the two of them to run into their mother's arms. They are kids after all and she has been gone for way too long. But, surprisingly they don't. They know way too much for their age. They know that Monica and Frank are too selfish to be parents. And that despite the fact that they are still kids, they have come to rely on their older siblings more so than their biological parents. They know not to fall for their bullshit.

"Why are you here?" Debbie asks bitterly.

"I came to see you guys," Monica says with a smile, wiping away her tears with her sleeve. She opens her arms for a hug. But Debbie and Carl don't move. "I came to see how Ian's doing."

"Why?" Carl says. "Why didn't you come before when things were really bad?"

"She's here now," Frank says like that's all that matters. Like years of neglect can be made by that one simple phrase.

"Yeah. Too little, too late." Debbie says with a roll of her eyes.

Not being able to take anymore of the Gallagher family soap opera, Mickey says. "Listen, I'll let you guys hatch your shit out. I'm gonna get going. Told Ian that I'll stop by today."

He turns to leave to let the Gallagher's continue to bicker when Debbie calls him, "Mickey?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I come with you to see him?"

"Me too?" Carl asks.

Shit. Two Gallagher's tagging along is the last thing he wants, but the sad looks on their faces dig a little bit at him. If Ian was there he'd laugh and call him a fucking pussy. But, then again a lot of things have changed that fateful night almost three months ago. He turns to Fiona looking at her eyes for permission.

"Fine, you guys can go. But, don't be too late." Fiona says as she hands Debbie a plastic bag that is filled with things for Ian. "And don't say anything to him about her being here," Fiona says softly referring to their mother.

Frank scoffs and utters "Unfucking believable."

Ignoring her father's protests and her mother's sad eyes, she continues "Ian has had a good couple of days. Don't want him to have a setback."

Lip hands Mickey the tablet that Ned got for Ian. It has some apps on it that the redhead's occupational therapist said would help him."Thanks, man for getting them out of here."

Mickey nods his head and the three of them quickly leave the house. Just mere seconds after Carl closes the back door, yelling and curses can be heard again. Mickey sighs, but the two Gallagher's don't seem fazed by it in the slightest. They're far too used to it.

"I hope Ian likes the cookies I made," Debbie says breaking the awkward silence as they make their way down the road to the EL.

"Do they have nuts in them?" Carl asks.

"Yeah. Why?" Debbie asks confused.

"As long as they have nuts in them, I bet he'll love them," Carl says grinning at Mickey.

Mickey rolls his eyes at the teenager's lame ass joke, "Shut up fuckwad."

Carl just laughs as the trio continue walking down the street.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Shameless.**

**A/N1: Thanks again to all of you who are reviewing, following, and favoriting this story. You guys truly are the best!**

**A/N2: This story is a series of one shots, but I wanted to do a follow up to chapter 4 where Carl and Debbie tag along with Mickey to visit Ian.**

**Changed-Chapter 5**

Mickey doesn't exchange pleasantries with anyone at the nurses station when he walks into the rehabilitation center with Debbie and Carl hot on his heels. But then again, he never does. He's not there to see them. He lets Debbie be the polite one leaving her at the desk to say hi to the staff and asking how their day is. Carl shares the ex-con's sentiments as he continues to walk by Mickey's side to his brother's room.

Mickey is so intent on seeing Gallagher that he doesn't acknowledge the nurse who yells at him that Ian might still be sleeping. That Ian might be tired because he had both physical and occupational therapy today. Mickey doesn't care if Ian is sleeping. He just has to see with his own eyes that he's okay. That the shitshow that is currently taking place in the Gallagher kitchen did not make its way to the other side of the city, to Ian.

He can't help but sigh in relief when he sees that Ian is resting comfortably on his bed, his drugged eyes focused on the television that Mandy brought him.

"Hey," Mickey calls out as he walks into the room.

Gallagher doesn't notice him, but he's not surprised. Mickey is competing over the loud ass volume of the television and they're still waiting for the final report from the audiologist to see the extent of the damage done to the ginger's ear.

"Hey, asswipe!" Carl says as he plops down next to his brother.

"Jesus!" Mickey curses. "What the fuck is-" he starts to say but stops when he sees that Ian is smiling at them.

"C-Ca-ca-car. M-m-ick?" Ian asks. Confusion is evident in his voice. He was expecting Mickey, but to see his brother tagging along has thrown him off.

"Ian!" Debbie calls from the doorway.

If Ian looked confused before, he looks really fucking confused now when he sees Debbie there.

"W-wh-wh," Ian tries to get out. His aggravation with his inability to get the words our clearly evident by the anxious look on his face and the way his hands are moving frantically.

"Easy, tough guy. Relax," Mickey says as he tries to reassure the redhead.

"B-b-b-ut. W-wh," Ian tries again pointing to his brother and sister and then to Mickey. The fact that they all came together isn't lost on him. Mickey always visits him alone. And Fiona usually only lets the kids visit on the weekend. Some shit about routine.

The fact that Carl is unusually quiet and Debbie is biting through her bottom lip does nothing to help the façade that everything is okay.

"M-m-ick," Ian pleas. His eyes boring into Mickey,

Fuck. Mickey can't do this anymore. Not with Gallagher looking at him like this. "Listen, man."

"Mickey, don't!" Debbie interrupts. "Fiona said-"

"He's gonna find out anyway," Carl jumps in.

The kid might be a delinquent in training. But he's not stupid.

Ian's eyes get even bigger. "Wh-what."

Mickey sighs out loud. He puts his hand on Ian's cheek. "Monica's back."

Ian doesn't say anything, he's looking down into his lap.

"She wants to see you," Debbie says softly.

"N-n-now?" Ian asks.

Mickey can heat the hitch in the redhead's voice. Fucking Monica.

The ex-con rubs Ian's cheek with his finger affectionately." It's up to you. You wanna see her?"

Ian closes his eyes for a few seconds. "h-h-h-th-th-th-ink b-b-out i-t-tt."

Mickey nods his head. "You do that firecrotch. Take as much time as you need."

Ian nods his head.

Mickey hears an awkward coughing noise. Why the fuck did he agree to let the kids tag along?

"I got you the I-pad that Ned bought you," Debbie says cutting into the silence of the room.

"Douche," Carl mutters under his breath referring to his sister's ex-boyfriend's closeted father.

Mickey wants to smirk. Man he loves that kid.

"I downloaded those programs that Pam said are good for you," Deb says as she take out the tablet from the Save-a-lot bag and places it on the table that's besides the full size bed.

"I downloaded minecroft too," Carl says with a smile.

Ian nods his head. "T-th-th-anks."

Ian looks at Debbie and Carl's crestfallen faces. He knows that despite their easy going demeanor seeing Monica again has thrown them through a loop. " Y-y-ou o-o-o-kay?" Ian asks looking at Carl and then his sister.

Both Carl and Debbie look down. And for the hundredth time, Mickey wishes he did something to get rid of the blonde bitch. With all the shit Ian has going on he shouldn't have to comfort his younger siblings because their absentee mother has decided to make an appearance.

"We're good. We know Monica's MO by now," Debbie replies sadly.

Ian nods his head understanding. Getting the hint. They don't want to talk about it. "B-b-ring a-a-any-th-th-ing good," he asks hopefully.

Debbie shakes her head, "Was a last minute thing. Didn't know we were gonna visit you. I only made cookies because I knew that Mickey was coming. Planned on giving them to him.

Ian perks up. "Y-yeah? Wh-hat k-k-k-ind?"

"You're gonna like them. They have nuts in them," Carl says with a smirk.

Mickey rolls his eyes.

Ian lets out a laugh instantly getting the joke.

"Keep fucking laughing there ginger."

"C-can't h-h-he-help it." Ian laughs, holding his gut

Mickey rolls his eyes. Sounds so good to hear Ian like this. Especially with his douche bag mom back.

"You have to eat your dinner first," Debbie says.

Ian nods his head. "t-t-try."

That's a positive Mickey thinks. Eating has been a huge battle since Ian woke up. Anything that concerns motor skills is a bitch.

"Stop being such a bitch,"Carl says, slapping his brother on the arm.

"Didn't you guys bring something for us to watch?" Mickey asks.

"Oh!" Carl says slapping himself on his forehead. "totally forgot."

Carl takes out a DVD as Debbie gives Ian and Mickey a cookie. "Got a copy of Man of Steel. Thought you might like it. You know seeing since he's in tights."

Mickey is ready to smack him, but ian's cackling laughter stops him. "Get up here," Mickey says as he sits next to Ian on the full sized bed. Carl laughs as he sits next to his brother. Debbie rolls her eyes as she sits next to Mickey.

Debbie and Carl argue throughout the previews, but just as the opening credits start, Debbie stops and says softly, "this is nice."

As he is sitting there sandwiched between two redheaded Gallagher's with Carl making obnoxious comments Mickey doesn't move his hand away when Ian begins playing with his tattooed fingers, he can't help but think that despite everything this is nice.

**Chapter Six Preview: **Mickey has taken up residence on the Gallagher couch. His older siblings have spent years looking after him, Debbie, and Liam. And with Fiona and Lip busy with the endless stream of doctors, it's time for Carl to have a little chat with Mickey. Ian has been through enough shit, a broken heart is the last thing his older brother needs.

"Ian? You good?" Debbie asks as she eats a pretzel.

"Y—yeah," Ian says.

With his siblings attention focused on the movie onscreen arguing about who plays Lois Lane, they don't see Mickey and Ian holding hands.

"Y-yeah. G-g-g-ood." Ian says again, squeezing Mickey's hand tight. Mickey nods his head as he squeezes Ian's hand tighter.


End file.
